Adults – The Seeds We Sow Are Sprouting Buds Nonetheless

South London’s adults—whose aversion to uppercase letters bothers me more than it should do—specialise in the kind of cheerfully ramshackle indie-pop that lives and dies on its ratio of bangers to clangers.

When it comes to the former, the seeds we sow are sprouting buds nonetheless has two surefire candidates. The frenetic drums and fuzz-drenched guitar riffs of “going round the houses” and “jetwash” showcase adults at their very best. Reminiscent of prime Los Campesinos!, these songs are fun, fast, and borderline exhilarating—yet an air of cautiousness lingers. It’s as if adults enjoy the thrill of punk’s tempo, but can’t quite tolerate the risk—so they are hovering over the brakes, just in case it all becomes a bit too reckless.

This approach lends an oddly uptight mood to slightly slower tracks, such as the disappointing “crying.” As the nasal male vocal narrates a kitchen sink drama (“I was lying and restless/you were eating my breakfast/we were trying to talk it out”), I’m reminded of the frustratingly naive ‘00’s band, The Boy Least Likely To. The folky acoustic number “chest pains” isn’t quite as polite, but its shabby execution compromises a decent if underdeveloped idea. “northern lights” fares better, but there’s still a sense that the band is holding back.

It’s admirable that adults strive to show such range—the seeds we sow… incorporates shoegaze textures alongside flirtations with punk, folk, and country—but the faster punk-infused tracks, when they raise the tempo and loosen their top buttons a little, are ultimately the most convincing.

The one notable exception, and by far the strongest of the album’s gentler offerings, is “patterns,” which channels The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart in its fusion of jangly guitars with fragile synth lines. Sadly, it’s an outlier on a record that at thirteen tracks and 37 minutes, sinks under the weight of its ambition. Still, there are enough green shoots of promise (and dogs on the album cover) to ensure adults will remain on my watchlist, for now at least.

The Seeds We Sow… is out now via Fika Recordings